Circus Drama
by Momo-Kuma
Summary: "Performers aren't the only ones who work hard, are they?" Ichigo thinks. After a mesmerising performance from the well renown Kanzaki Mizuki, the groundskeeper for the circus catches Ichigo's eyes. Nothing seems out of the ordinary at first, but what Ichigo doesn't know is that that one groundskeeper is a very special person. [I don't know where this is going to go, but enjoy!]
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is just a random idea for Aikatsu I came up with when I was scrolling through some fanart and stuff. My apologies if this bores you, and/or the characters are OOC and stuff- especially Suzukawa Naoto, considering he's only a supporting character, but who doesn't ship this pairing! . (Even though they can't date and stuff in the anime :3) Well then, enjoy! **

**P.S. The normal main characters aren't idols or anything, because this story is set in a circus. :P**

**Disclaimer: Aikatsu does not belong to me, nor do any of the characters featured in this story.**

**Edit: I've just gone back to correct some grammatical errors here and there! Thank you to the reviewer who pointed them out! (I don't know if you want to remain anonymous or not)**

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><p>A circus is in town. One with tents that spiral high into the sky, with flags that sway to and fro like waves as they are carried by the light zephyr that blows westwards today. The tents are a palette of basic circus colours, with a colour scheme of reds and whites, with vibrant hints of blue and green and orange and yellow. The colours splash up at visitors like fish from the sea, and fill their eyes with nothing but colours. Bright, bright colours. It's really wonderful, don't you agree?<br>"Ichigo!" A voice calls out cheerfully. A girl with silky blonde hair, adorned with pink ribbon turns to see her best friend, Kiriya Aoi, waving quite enthusiastically at her. Alongside her is Arisugawa Otome, a very cute girl with a catchphrase of 'Love you, desu~' Hoshimiya Ichigo laughs back joyfully as she runs short distance that separates her with them.

"Let's go to find Kanzaki Mizuki's tent! I can't wait to see her perform live!" Aoi smiles merrily as she drifts off into a little space of her own, daydreaming about the famous Kanzaki Mizuki, who is a well renown circus performer, famous for her beautiful, graceful movements as she somersaults her way through the air cleanly like a butterfly. The small group enter the tent, brimming with excitement as the sound of the commotion blasts it's way into their ears.

"Uwaa!~ It's so crowded, desu!" Otome chimes cheerfully as she puts her hand to her forehead and scans the ring and rows of seats.  
>"Over there! Let's go sit over there." Ichigo motions towards four empty seats around the center of the rows of seats. They are positioned on the edge, convenient for a quick exit, if they needed to. The girls swiftly occupy the seats and settle, waiting for the show to begin. Aoi takes out a little blue notepad, covered in intricate designs that arabesque to form a shape similar to that of a bluebird. As if on cue, the lights dim and the show begins.<p>

"Ladies and gentlemen, the show that will dazzle your eyes like the sun! It's Kanzaki Mizuki!" The announcer declares dramatically as everybody whoops and cheers and claps. As the noise dies down, the spotlight focuses on a spot in the centre of the ring, revealing a purple-haired girl, donned in clothes that enhance her elegance. They have been designed to move easily in, and yet, they are embellished with feathers that resemble a bird's wings. As Kanzaki extends her arms, the feather follow along, releasing specks of glitter that shimmer as they catch the light on their way down. Her costume is fully revealed now. It follows the basic design of a gymnast's costume, with sequins and glitter that glimmer and shimmer like embers from a fire, the brilliance reaching every edge of the tent. A chorus of _oohs _and _aahs_ fill the tent as the spectators admire the exquisite costume, and the way it curves around Kanzaki's body perfectly. A note begins to play and fire begins to ignite as the jugglers light their props and begin. The gymnast sways and spins slowly, gradually increasing and then leaps, her hair flying out behind her.

She catches hold of a rope and does a few twists and turns, bending and flexing as if it were all natural. Although it may have been gruesome to do, for an amateur gymnast, the way Kanzaki Mizuki presents it is mesmerising as she enchants all the watchers. Ichigo's eyes sparkle with admiration, and Aoi doesn't want to take her eyes off of her to take notes. Otome's orange-tinted eyes are attached onto Kanzaki like glue as they catch her every move, from head to toe. Expressions of pure enjoyment and admiration are etched on the girl's faces.

As the performers begin to decrease pace from the climax of the show, Mizuki begins to slow to a halt on the ground. She lands gracefully, and many spectators believe she is an angel, sent from the skies above. The music slows, and Mizuki freezes in a perfect bow, perfectly on time with the other performers and the music. There are a few moments of silence as the watchers take in what had just happened before cheering permeates the air, and flowers cannonball into the ring, covering the girl in a flurry of plants. She waves and sends kisses to the crowd before collecting several flowers from the ground and backing away. As she turns, her 'wings' flick out slightly as if they were a cape. As the crowd bustles out happily after the performance,a feather falls from nowhere.

"So, how was that?!" Aoi breathed after she took her pen away from the pad. She had been sketching images of Mizuki as well as writing, as to not forget any of the movements.  
>"Mizuki-tan, love you, desu!~" Otome grins, her face flushed as she held her hands up in a heart shaped manner.<br>"It-it was amazing!" Ichigo smiles, her memory fresh with the beauty of Kanzaki's movements and grace.  
>"Here, here, take a look!" Aoi beckons the two slightly closer as she shows the two other girl's the images of Mizuki.<br>"Uwaa! Love you, Aoi-tan!"  
>"Aoi, those are amazing!"<p>

As Otome and Aoi continue shuffling through the sketches, Ichigo stretches out tiredly.  
>"Huh?" Ichigo freezes mid-stretch as her eyes catch a boy around her own age with floppy black hair that covers one eye, presumably a bright amber like the other eye. The boy is sweeping up the mess from the performance, collecting flowers and putting them into a basket. Ichigo observes him curiously as he makes his way around the ring.<br>_The performers aren't the only ones who work hard, are they? After all, the ground keepers have to clean up after them..._ Ichigo thinks carefully, her position changing to a 'thinking' stance.  
>The cleaning boy suddenly halts and tenses as he reaches a beautiful lily, with slightly crumpled petals, but beautiful nevertheless. Ichigo looks at him as his facial expression changes like the flow of water to a slightly sadder expression. He smooths out the petals slightly, but rather than placing it in the basket for Mizuki, he pops it into his front pocket, located just above his chest. He then returns to sweeping and collecting as if nothing had happened then.<p>

"I get the feeling we should leave. I don't want to miss Johnny Bepp's performance after all!" Aoi remarks happily as she and Otome stretch out and pat themselves down as they get up.  
>"Ichigo?" Aoi looks at Ichigo. The pink ribboned girl snaps out of her 'thinking mode' and looks at Aoi.<br>"Yup!" She smiles merrily and gets up, following the two other girls out of the tent. Before she goes out though, she turns back. The boy is still there, sweeping away. He stops. He continues. If only for a moment, Ichigo could've sworn their eyes met.

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><p><strong>That's it for now! Thanks for reading, and hope for more! :D (I take long to upload ._.)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello there! This is the second chapter to the fanfic (with the worst name ever) set in an AU for Aikatsu! Thank you to the people who reviewed the first chapter, and to the people who read the chapter! Once again, I don't know where this is going, so do bear with me!**

**There will most definitely be a few grammatical errors here and there. After all, nobody's perfect, right? Also, apologies in advance if this has been very poorly written. I'm still only a learner in writing, so there will be parts that go on for too long. I haven't yet got a proof reader or anything. I hope this suffices as a second chapter... Right then. Let us begin...**

**P.S: Once again, characters may be OOC. Apologies for that. **

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><p>Ichigo stretches out tiredly, yawning rather loudly as her other two friends, Otome and Aoi do a few stretches also. It seems quite awkward, in such a cramped area in the space between a food stall and Johnny Bepp's tent.<br>"That was absolutely hilarious!" Ichigo grins with a smile stretched wide across her face, clearly radiating happiness. The girl's faces are flushed bright pink after watching the famed Johnny Bepp, distinguished for his amazing remix of acts for circuses. There was a whole variety of acts they saw, with Johnny Bepp swinging wildly around the entire ring the whole time, spinning and dancing, striking all kinds of poses wildly.

"I know right! He was all... Bam! And... Fwoosh!" Otome giggles enthusiastically as she gives imitates what Johnny Bepp had done. The girl's burst into fits of laughter, making a few faces turn and frown.  
>"Who should we see next?" Aoi asks as they calm down slightly.<br>"Mmm... It's getting kind of late... So, how about food?!" Ichigo beams at Aoi, her eyes sparkling with hope that they'll be eating next.  
>"Yup! Me too!" Otome chimes in, her entire face lit up in anticipation.<p>

"Alright, alright. This way then!" Aoi agrees without hesitation and motions her hand to a food stall oozing with sweet smells that tingle their senses. The mere sight of the food in the circus is sensational - a feast for the eyes alone. The temptation is barely containable as Ichigo and Otome fawn over the variety of exotically decorated foods. Even Aoi can't help herself.

In the end, they all picked the same menu and began to indulge in the food simultaneously. [I don't know any 'circus foods', so I'm afraid you'll just have to use your imagination.]  
>"It's so abso-mazingly-lutely delicious!" Aoi exclaims as she took the first bite. "That wasn't even a real word!" As the girls find a spot to sit and enjoy their meal further, the sky begins to lose it's daytime radiance. The sunlight is slowly retreating as the curtain of nighttime, embellished with stars and clouds, draws an end to the wonderful day. The lights in the circus begin to turn on, as they prepare for the nighttime acts, a special feature exclusive to this travelling circus.<br>"Hmm, I get the feeling we should return soon. We've explored almost all the tents." Aoi remarks as they throw the wrappers of their meal into a nearby bin.

Otome suddenly looks up at the sky and her face lights up, her eyes twinkling like the few stars positioned high, high above them.  
>"It's a kitty-cat!" Otome exclaims in delight, as if she were a child discovering a sweets-shop. Ichigo and Aoi look up to where Otome's eyes are drawn, and a cloud, hung upon a thin strand of stars is shaped like a cat with an elongated tail that sweeps across the sky, soon fading into an aeroplane's trail.<br>"Ah! It's so cute, don't you think, Ichigo?"  
>"Mmm, mmm!" Ichigo nods in agreement as she takes a camera out, positioning it up to face the ball of cotton candy, grey against the blue. She steadies her arms as much as she can and clicks on the button, determined to get the photo as clear as possible. Aoi brings out her notepad with lightning quick speed and does a quick sketch of the cloud. Otome merely admires the sight, her cheeks a gentle shade a pink that matched the real cotton candy hung on the rack in the store adjacent to them.<p>

Out of the blue, a little boy and girl run quickly and desperately towards a balloon that bobs along slowly and casually in the sky, going with the flow of the air. Their cries make the group turn their heads, Ichigo's hands still held high above her at the cloud. Otome tilts her head in a cute fashion, wondering what to do.

The little boy doesn't notice the unstable slab of rock in the pavement and seems to fall slowly, slowly towards the ground.  
>"Ah!" Aoi cries out as she dives forwards bravely and just helped the boy on time before he hit the floor, face first.<br>"Are you okay, Aoi?" Ichigo gasps worriedly. Otome and Ichigo assist the two on the floor back up.

"M-my sister!" The little boy with chocolate brown hair cries out as he scrambles out of Aoi's grasp in a desperate attempt to get to the girl who was currently climbing up a fairly medium sized tree to catch the balloon, which had conveniently landed in a branch of the tree, without popping miraculously.  
>The trio turn and see the little girl wave helplessly at the balloon like a cat to catnip as she grasps the bark tightly, her hands white with the pressure. She is nowhere near the balloon though.<p>

Without thinking, Ichigo drops Aoi's arm and runs towards the tree herself. Dumping her bag quickly on the floor, she begins to expertly scale the trunk of the tree, her feet swiftly finding temporary foot holds.  
>"Ai-katsu! Ai-katsu!" She chants her 'good luck charm', used for when she exercises. [Yes, I know it's not a charm, but I just felt like popping it in there xD]<p>

Before the crowd, which had gathered below, knew it, Ichigo had reached the girl.  
>"Are you okay?" Ichigo asks her.<br>"M-y balloon... Ah!" The little girl missteps and her hand slips as she lost grip on the rough branch. With a fairly quick reaction, Ichigo shoots out her arm to grab the girl and steady her.  
>"I'll get you down now!"<p>

"B-but, my balloon! The one papa bought me!..." [That may be incorrect with the punctuation, I apologise if it is.] The girl wails as Ichigo slowly climbs back down to a reasonable height of the tree before jumping. She then looks back up at the tree.

"I... I'll get it for you! Definitely!" Ichigo states bravely, changing her stance and putting one hand on her chest, as if it symbolised something.  
>"E-eh?"<br>"Ichigo?!"  
>"Ichigo-tan?! Love you, desu! Go for it!" Aoi and Otome look at Ichigo, rather incredulously at first. Ichigo looks back at them with determined eyes with a burning fire. She rolls up her sleeves and begins to climb, without looking at just how far up the balloon really was.<p>

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><p><strong>Once again, that's it for now! (This is just a story I think of on the spot, so I don't want to go on for too long, otherwise it'll get boring. It already is slightly ._.)<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed that, though the action scene was a bit bland. I'll have to improve on that in future times. Thanks for reading! Hope to see you soon! (Well, I don't see you, but you get what I mean, right?)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! How have**

**you readers been? Thank you once again for the reviewers. Here's a few names!**

**paint2 : Thanks for the comments! When you said you could sense where this was going, did you expect... [Read ahead! :D]**

**Jamie S. : Thank you for the comment! I'll work harder and try not to let people down! .**

**Yemi Hikari : Thank you for all the advice! (This should really go on the second/first chapter, but ah well.) I think the formatting is better in this chapter. Sorry if it isn't! .**

**Once again, there will probably be a few mistakes here and there, but I'll improve overtime (hopefully!) This chapter should have fewer mistakes, but I apologise in advance if there are still mistakes that bother you.**

**Well then, thanks for dropping by and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Aikatsu nor any of the characters in the series. I only own the story idea here. **

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><p>Up and up Ichigo went, clambering over branches that were overflowing with leaves that rustled every time they were disturbed, making a noise like the ocean.<br>"Almost... There!..." Ichigo pants as she stretches out her arm and swings dangerously on to the branch that the balloon rests upon. The branch wobbles under the sudden weight, and Ichigo teeters precariously.

"Ichigo!" The voices beneath the tree call out restlessly. The blonde girl steadies her self and looks over the edge.  
>"I'm okay! It's alright!"<br>She can hear breaths of relief as she turns back to the balloon, which sits just out of her reach as if taunting her. Come closer, it says, waving in the wind. Ichigo rises ever so slowly and balances like an acrobat on the branch. She reaches out for the balloon, grabbing it swiftly.  
>"Got it!" She beams gladly and punches the air in success.<br>"Now to get down... Waaaah!" Ichigo screams as her foot slips, taking down a few leaves and twigs with her.

"Ichigo-tan!" Otome and Aoi cry out as soon as she had slipped. All of a sudden, Ichigo is in somebody's arms, held carefully as if she weighed nothing. Her eyes, which were tightly shut, now open slowly. Against the lamplight is a silhouette. A man. Fairly long hair. A bright smile.  
>"Eh... Thanks... EH?!" Ichigo thanks the man only to see the face clearly.<p>

"J-Johnny... Bepp?"

"YES! That's me!" Johnny Bepp spins around like a tornado, striking a pose and dropping Ichigo.  
>"Ouch!" Ichigo says as she rubs her back.<br>"OH! I'm sorry! I must go now." He spins again and sticks out his hand for Ichigo to take.  
>"Thanks!" She takes is gladly and rises, patting herself off. She takes it off as quickly as she took it. As Johnny Bepp prances off like a frolicking bunny, she turns back to the girl.<br>"Here you go!" She smiles at the little girl, whose eyes are brimming with big, fat tears that resemble pearls.  
>"T-Thank you!" The little girl bursts out sobbing as she takes the balloon.<br>"Ehe! No problem! Don't lose it again though." Ichigo waves cheerfully to the girl as she and her brother walk away to join their mother.

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><p>As Aoi scolds Ichigo for doing such an action recklessly, far from the commotion, an amber eye, like a lion's watches. A mass of floppy black hair covers one of his eyes and his skin is fairly pale, without a blemish in sight.<br>That was interesting... He thinks silently. He had watched the girl's actions, and had even tensed up when she almost fell the first time. The boy almost had to stop himself from calling out when she fell. That was reckless...

"That was reckless of you, Ichigo! But, at least you're okay." Aoi says in a rather stern tone.  
>"Uwaa! You're like a mother Aoi-tan!" Otome giggles happily as she listens to Aoi tell Ichigo off like a mother.<br>"E-eh?" Aoi blushes slightly and tries to hide her embarrassment with her hand.  
>"But.. Good job, Ichigo-tan! Love you!" Otome turns to Ichigo, putting her hands in a love heart sign. Ichigo laughs along with the other two as the crowd finishes dispersing, leaving only those three in that certain area. Huh? Ichigo turns around towards the entrance. A flash of a foot disappears behind a tent. Somebody had watched her carefully. She could feel it.<p>

"I'm just going to the... Toilet!" Ichigo lies, rather blatantly as she turns on her heel and sprints towards the entrance.  
>"Eh? Ah! Ichigo?" Her friends call out after her before turning to each other and shrugging. The toilets were clearly in the opposite direction.<p>

Click, clack, click, clack. Her boots make a loud clicking like a horse's hooves as she sprints down the pathway, swinging her head left and right to try to find the source of the stare. As she turns the corner where she had last seen the foot. With her head turned left, she didn't watch where she was going and crashed painfully into somebody. Before she falls, a hand catches her wrist with extreme speed.  
>"I'm sorry!"<br>"Are you oka...?" The voice trails off, and a pair of pink eyes meets an eye, with a glow like a firefly.

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><p><strong>Well, that's it for now, I guess. Sorry it's such a short chapter this time. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! It's been a while! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I might pause the series and continue after New Year's purely because I've got a lot on my hands right now. Also, I kind of may have ran out of ideas for this chapter. But anyways, moving on!**

**(As per usual, possible mistakes, apologies in advance! Enjoy! Also, one more warning. _This chapter is pretty pointless, so feel free to not read it if you want_.****)**

**Disclaimer: Aikatsu! and the characters present in this story do not belong to me in any way. They belong to the creators of the series.**

"Y-you were..." Ichigo stammers rather uncertainly. She teeters slightly, a hand covered in a white glove still gripping onto her wrist quite tightly. The face is unmistakable. He is the groundskeeper who had caught Ichigo's attention earlier after Kanzaki's show. Suddenly realising that she hadn't introduced herself yet, Ichigo stood upright like a pencil and dusted herself off.  
>"I'm Hoshimiya Ichigo! I saw you earlier when you were cleaning up after Mizuki's show. Umm, that didn't sound weird... Did it?" She says, wondering if that was a tad creepy. Instead, the boy chuckles slightly, his face creasing into a brighter expression that his current , rather gloomy one.<p>

"No, that was fine. It's actually quite rare for somebody to talk to a... groundskeeper. I'm... Suzukawa Naoto. It's good to meet you, I guess." He introduces himself, accompanied by a small sweep of the fringe. Then, a silence. It is an awkward silence, just like when you don't know what to say.  
>"Are you okay then?" Naoto says, remembering he hadn't finished what he had said earlier.<br>"Yup! I'm okay!" Ichigo replied happily.  
>"Uh, since it was almost my fault that you fell, would you like some food? It'll be free." Naoto motions over to another path that curves and twirls like an elongated snake. It leads to a gap between a few tents; most likely stalls. Ichigo nods as Naoto removes his gloves, tilts a broom against a nearby sturdy tent and leads the way.<p>

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><p>"Yo, King." He greets the male at the food counter.<p>

"Nao!" The red-headed boy with a Mohawk immediately brightens after seeing his friend. His eyes then flicker over the the blonde standing next to him. King's face freezes as he leans closer to Naoto.  
>"Nao... When did you get a girl?!" He gasps in shock. His face is a window which shows the exact emotion he is feeling. Currently, he looks gobsmacked. Naoto, nicknamed Nao from King rubs his ear after King quietened down.<br>"Chill... I almost made her fall over, so I'm treating her. Hoshimiya... Was it?" Naoto looks over to Ichigo, but her attention is elsewhere.

"Su-Suzukawa-san... Look at that Crepe..." Ichigo's eyes are filled with sparkles as the look of the crepe sitting in a stand calls out to her. Naoto and King's heads turn to see the crepe she is looking at.  
>"I guess we'll get that one then." Naoto points over to it and leans against the counter. King goes to retrieve it, wrapping it neatly inside a napkin. He hands it over to Naoto, who then hands it over to Ichigo.<br>"Enjoy." Ichigo accepts it gratefully and thanks him and King. She then looks at the desert in front of her.

It is filled with glazed fruits that are oozing with juices, soft fluffy cream resembling that of a cloud, a soft layer on the outside, and a seemingly crispy edge, right at the top. It is topped off with sparkling syrup and icing sugar that catches the stall's lighting, making the syrup glow like amber and it makes the icing sugar seem like little, tiny ice crystals. Although it seems like too much sugar, there is a perfectly balanced amount of both sugar and no sugar, creating a serving that is nor too sweet, nor too bitter. As Ichigo bites into the crepe, it bursts with luscious flavours, though some flavours are too bitter. Those are quickly covered up by the sweetness of the other ingredients.

"So, what'd you think?" King asks her, gulping.  
>"It's like... Watching Kanzaki Mizuki's performance again!" She announces once she consumes the part she had bitten into. The two begin laughing as they look at her.<br>"I take it you really enjoyed it then." Naoto smiles at her, breaking the 'cold' look he had.  
>"Definitely!"<p>

Ichigo turns back to the crepe as the two begin to talk. She only picks up parts of the conversation as she is too occupied with the crepe. It is hard to determine what kind of flavours there are. It almost feels like a shame to eat it. As the times passes, Ichigo finishes the crepe.  
>"I'll go throw this away." She holds up the napkin. As she does, a lily falls out of it with a little swirl of paper.<p>

**That's it for today! I'm seriously sorry for boring you guys out this chapter, and it's short which doesn't make it better. I'll post a better, longer chapter soon! Definitely! Though, no promises just yet. :P**

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter will either come by Christmas, or after the New Year! **


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